Media Clipping — March, 2002, Atlantic Forestry Review

The progress of man?

Report criticizes past and present forestry practices in Nova Scotia Editorial

A recent report says Nova Scotia has done little to stop the squandering of its forest resources. GPI Atlantic, a non- profit research group, released its Forest Accounts in November, 2001. The document proposes a new way of measuring success in forest management, based on a broad range of economic, social, and ecological criteria. It concludes that we are failing mightily.

The study blames high-grading, land-clearing, and clearcut harvesting for the diminished quality of Nova Scotia forests overall. It cites data indicating dramatic reductions in mature and old-growth forests, and losses in age-class and species diversity. It says our forests are becoming less economically valuable and more vulnerable to disease and insect infestation.

According to the report, ever-larger harvests have brought fewer social benefits, with employment per unit of timber declining by 26 percent since the 1980s. Other forest "services" it recognizes include climate regulation, biological control, food production, recreation, cultural benefits, erosion control, water supply and watershed protection, nutrient cycling, gas regulation, pollination, wildlife habitat, and preservation of genetic resources.

Ron Colman, the founder of GPI Atlantic, spoke about the report at the November 29 Harvest Practices Seminar in Truro. By way of background, he explained that the organization is devoted to developing a genuine progress index (GPI) for Nova Scotia. He pointed out that much of today's political decision making is based on the gross domestic product (GDP), which he considers a badly flawed measure of progress. For example, a spike in crime rates, or an environmental disaster, tends to boost the GDP because much money is spent to address such crises. But the GDP does not recognize volunteer work, family time, or any efforts made toward self-sufficiency. Colman said we need a better way of measuring well being, to serve as a meaningful guide for policy-makers.

The GPI report on Nova Scotia's forests is based on these principles. Colman said conventional economics takes no account of existing natural resources, though it counts the depletion of those resources as a gain. "It's just bad accounting," he said. "It's just like a factory owner selling off his equipment and counting it as profit."

The report counts standing forests as "natural capital" which can supply multiple benefits. On the other side of the equation, it counts things like unemployment and pollution as costs. The bottom line, as calculated by GPI, does not look good. To illustrate how forestry may be brought more in line with a broad definition of progress, the report includes profiles of six exemplary operations, four of them in Nova Scotia, with economic details as evidence of their viability.

Copyright © 2002, DVL Publishing, Ltd.